Samsung Taiwan's Galaxy Z Fold8 Pre-orders Surge Nearly 30%, Signaling Foldable-Driven Upgrade Trend

Samsung Taiwan held a pre-order pickup event today (11) for its new generation of flagship foldable smartphones, including the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8. Chen Qimeng, General Manager of Samsung Taiwan’s Mobile Communications Division, stated that early-bird pre-orders across all major local channels have been extremely enthusiastic, with overall pre-order volume rising nearly 30% compared to the previous generation. This surge not only reflects strong upgrade momentum but also draws a significant number of users from competing brands, injecting notable vitality into the mobile communications market.

On the financial and sales front, smartphone pre-orders are performing strongly, while pre-orders for the new smartwatches Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Watch9 have also grown by nearly 30% year-on-year. The Galaxy Watch9, which emphasizes health tracking features, is particularly favored by consumers, accounting for as high as 60% of sales, indicating robust demand for premium smart ecosystem accessories.

Regarding pre-order composition and industry trends, Chen Qimeng noted that in the first six generations, Fold series models accounted for about 30% and Flip series 70%. The seventh generation shifted to a 50-50 split, but this pre-order cycle shows a major reversal: the Z Fold8, featuring a new 4:3 wide screen ratio, now accounts for nearly half of pre-orders, the top-tier Z Fold8 Ultra for 30%, and the Z Flip8 for 20%. Large-screen models have clearly become the main drivers.

Chen further analyzed that sales channel data reveals nearly 30% of Samsung Store customers came from competing brands, and many former Flip users have upgraded to the Z Fold8. This indicates that the new screen ratio and AI features have successfully attracted new customer segments. Additionally, demand for high-capacity configurations continues to rise. The top-tier 16GB RAM with 1TB storage variant, boosted by capacity upgrade promotions at designated channels, accounts for 40% of pre-orders at those outlets.

In terms of color preferences and overseas market trends, South Korea recorded a historic high of 1.44 million pre-orders, with users under 30 making up half. In Taiwan, purple and pink color schemes are most popular, each exceeding 40% of pre-orders. The Cream White variant of the Z Fold8, in particular, has seen overwhelming demand, leading to supply shortages. Samsung will leverage its eighth-generation foldable technology to further expand its influence in the premium smartphone market.